Date set for the return of US astronauts stranded on ISS for nine months
A date has been set for the return of two NASA astronauts stranded on the International Space Station for nine months.
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A pair of US astronauts stuck for more than nine months on the International Space Station will be returned to Earth on Tuesday evening, NASA said.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are to be transported home with another American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon craft, after a replacement crew arrived at the ISS early Sunday.
The stranded duo have been on the ISS since June after the Boeing Starliner spacecraft they were testing on its maiden crewed voyage suffered propulsion issues and was deemed unfit to fly them back to Earth.
NASA said in a statement on Sunday evening that it had moved forward the astronauts’ anticipated ocean splashdown off the Florida coast to approximately 5.57pm Tuesday. It was initially slated for no sooner than Wednesday.
“The updated return target continues to allow the space station crew members time to complete handover duties while providing operational flexibility ahead of less favourable weather conditions expected for later in the week,” the space agency said.
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will also return on the Dragon capsule, with the journey to be broadcast live from Monday evening when hatch closure preparations begin.
For Wilmore and Williams, both two former US Navy pilots, it will mark the end of an ordeal that has seen them stuck for nine months after what was meant to have been a days-long roundtrip.
Their prolonged stay was significantly longer than the standard ISS rotation for astronauts of roughly six months.
But it is much shorter than the US space record of 371 days set by NASA astronaut Frank Rubio aboard the ISS in 2023, or the world record held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who spent 437 continuous days aboard the Mir space station.
Still, the unexpected nature of their prolonged stay away from their families – they had to receive additional clothing and personal care items because they hadn’t packed enough – has garnered interest and sympathy.
What began as a technical failure has also spiralled into a political flashpoint, as President Donald Trump and his close adviser, Elon Musk – who leads SpaceX – have repeatedly suggested that former president Joe Biden “abandoned” the pair intentionally and rejected a plan to bring them back sooner.
That accusation caused uproar in the space community, especially since Musk did not provide any specifics.
Mr Trump, meanwhile, has drawn attention for his bizarre remarks about the situation, referring to Williams, a decorated former naval captain, as “the woman with the wild hair” and speculating about the personal dynamic between the two.
“They’ve been left up there – I hope they like each other, maybe they love each other, I don’t know,” he said during a recent White House press conference.
NASA ALIEN GREETS SPACE X CREW
The newly arrived SpaceX crew that docked with the International Space Station has been greeted by both human and alien faces.
Crew-9 commander Nick Hague donned a grey alien mask inside the ISS as his crew awaited the arrival of astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.
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As other crew members helped prepare the capsule for deboarding, Mr Hague was captured on the NASA livestream floating around the space station in an alien mask and a black hoodie, occasionally gesturing in character.
SpaceX launched Crew Dragon 10 to the station from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday to relieve Crew-9 members from their duties aboard the orbiting observatory.
Well, an alien just boarded the I.S.S. (International Space Station). Nothing to see here. 😂
— Justin Sluss (@justinsluss) March 16, 2025
And, yes, this is real. It just aired on @NASA TV. pic.twitter.com/BH6mp7I6QH
Crew-9, consisting of Hague, Sunita “Suni” Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Aleksandr Gorbunov, will undock from the station and return to Earth on Tuesday.
Mr Hague’s antics went viral, as social media users were appreciative of the astronaut’s senses of humour.
Costumes have become a customary tradition aboard the space station over the years, especially on Halloween.
In years past, NASA astronauts have dressed up as Superman, Spider-Man, a Minion, Darth Vader, Waldo and the Mario Brothers.
The Crew Dragon capsule, named Endurance was captured by the ISS just after midnight ET on Sunday, or 3pm AEST.
Mr Wilmore helped open the capsule hatch, officially linking the station with the newly arrived spacecraft.
The 62-year-old astronaut rang the ship’s bell as the new arrivals entered the main station single-filed, greeting their counterparts with handshakes and hugs.
Ms Williams, who had been snapping photos for the joyous unification, spoke to mission control after the hugs.
“Houston, thank you for tuning in this early morning,” Ms Williams said.
“It was a wonderful day. Great to see our friends arrive. Thank you so much.”
– with AFP
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Originally published as Date set for the return of US astronauts stranded on ISS for nine months
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